SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) offers valuable resources to help more New Mexicans quit and stay tobacco-free in conjunction with The American Cancer Society’s® annual Great American Smokeout® on Thursday November 17th. The Great American Smokeout is a day that encourages tobacco users across the nation to quit, or make a pledge and a plan to quit.
“Quitting can be very difficult, especially without resources and support.” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Lynn Gallagher. “Whether you start small and quit for 24 hours, or you quit for life, the Great American Smokeout® is your chance to take a step toward a life free from tobacco.”
NMDOH offers free help to residents of New Mexico who want to quit using tobacco at 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) and 1-855-DEJELO YA (1-855-335-3569). These comprehensive smoking cessation services are free to program participants and include:
· Advice about nicotine substitutes and medication
· Free nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges (as appropriate, for those who qualify)
· One-on-one personalized advice, including a personal quit plan
· Unlimited sessions with and encouragement from a trained Quit Coach
· Access to a special online community of others trying to quit.
Additionally, web-based services are available at www.QuitNowNM.com and www.DejeloYaNM.com and offer free comprehensive services with additional online support tools. All services offer text message support. The services are available 24 hours a day. TTY is available for the deaf and hearing impaired at 1-877-777-6534.
The free help offered by the department’s 1-800-QUIT NOW Cessation Services is a proven strategy that helps over 8,000 New Mexicans each year. One-third of QUIT NOW participants that were reached seven months after enrollment were still tobacco-free, a rate that is more than three times greater than quitting without any assistance.
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US. The U.S. Surgeon General recently reported that in the past 50 years more than 20 million Americans have died of smoking-related causes.